Career Day
by Sailor Elf
Summary: A man has a chance to change the mistake that cost him his career...and a friend's trust.
1. When You Least Expect It

Disclaimer-Smith and Judge Othneil don't belong to me. They never will. They belong to someone else. Marian, Ben and Michael/Zachary are mine.  
  
Summary-A man tries to change the mistake that cost him his career...and a friend's trust.  
  
******  
  
Career Day  
  
A man walked into the main lobby of a hotel. He had shoulder-length red hair and was six feet tall in height. He was a thin man with green eyes.  
  
Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him.  
  
"Hey Michael, I'm surprised you actually showed up man," came a male voice and he felt an arm around his shoulders.  
  
"Hi Ben. Well, I could not come. Is she here yet by any chance?" replied Michael, passing a waiter.  
  
The waiter turned his head a bit and looked at him.  
  
"Yeah, she's over there. Though she's never in a mood to see you anymore so be careful," Ben told him, pointing the way with a nod of the head. "I wouldn't try and approach her if I was you."  
  
"Well, you're not me and I'll at least try, even if she does hate my guts," Michael sighed.  
  
Michael looked over at her. Marian had black hair floating down her back. She was a short girl of just over five feet. He started to walk over to her.  
  
As he became closer, her crutches became more apparent.  
  
"Hi Marian," he said.  
  
She glared at him with a snarl on her face.  
  
"Michael, leave me alone. I'm never talking to you again, you hear me?" she told him with obvious dislikeness in her voice.  
  
"Fine, be an ungrateful twit," he angrily replied.  
  
But he didn't see the crutch. It had fallen from where it was standing. He tripped over it, falling headfirst into the pillar, then onto the floor unconscious.  
  
"Michael!" screamed Marian.  
  
She stood up on one leg and jumped over to him. She fell to the floor, wincing from the pain.  
  
"Micheal, wake up!" she shouted, gently shaking his shoulder.  
  
A crowd started to gather around the scene. One man stood oblivious to all of them as he walked through the crowd.  
  
"I don't think that'll work too well Marian," Smith said, standing at the front of the growing crowd.  
  
TBC... 


	2. Before the Judge

Smith leaned down, holding down a hand and helping Michael to his feet.  
  
"Wha...what happened?" Michael wondered, feeling a bit dizzy.  
  
"Simply put Michael, you're dead," Smith replied with a large smile on his face.  
  
The two walked over to table, where an older gentleman was sitting and sat down themselves.  
  
"Michael, this is Judge Othniel. He's going to decide your eternal fate," explained Smith.  
  
"Mister Matthews, you've had a strange life. It's not going to be easy to decide your fate,"Othniel sighed.  
  
"Why? What have I done that's so terrible?" demanded Michael.  
  
Othniel looked over at the prone body of Michael lying on the floor, which was soon going be taken out to the ambulance. His stare went to Marian. Michael slowly followed his gaze.  
  
"Do you remember what happened with her?" asked Othniel.  
  
"Come on, that was...that was ten years ago. I don't care to remember that," Michael rudely replied, practically screaming it out.  
  
"Maybe I can shed some light on this matter," Othniel calmly said, his stare going over to a nearby pillar.  
  
It showed a younger looking Michael standing atop a stage. Marian, who was in her late teens, stood beside him. A masked man stood across from them, a gun in hand.  
  
He shot at Michael but Marian pushed him out of the way, the bullet lodging into her knee. She fell to the floor in pain, clutching her leg.  
  
"So you were in this little prank too? Well this 'sob story' isn't going to get you my sympathy," Michael told her, kicking her leg.  
  
The picture faded. Othniel and Smith looked at Michael.  
  
"You kicked her in the leg? Why?" Smith demanded to know.  
  
"I...I don't know anymore," replied Michael, sighing.  
  
"You thought it was the joke your friend was planning and you didn't realize until afterwards that it wasn't. Marian never fully recovered from the injury. The bullet hit something important in her knee. Some tendons or nerves I think. Anyway, it couldn't be fixed and the bullet was in such an awkward position, the doctors couldn't take it out," Othniel explained.  
  
"So that's why she needs the crutches?" Smith wondered.  
  
"That's right. She can't possibly walk with that knee," Michael said.  
  
"She was dated a struggling musician and they loved each other. Marian was always an extra and they just made ends meet. She was going to audition for the lead role in a movie the very next day. The casting director postponed the audition for a few more days but it was wasted time. They didn't want a crippled lead. After that, both your careers went down," Othniel continued.  
  
"No argument from me there. Nobody wanted me and my family deserted me," Michael agreed.  
  
"Nobody wanted Marian either. Her boyfriend dumped her and she required much help from her family," Othniel told him.  
  
"I'd give anything to have Marian trust me again and be friends with her again," Michael quietly and suddenly said.  
  
Smith was shocked  
  
"Can't he go back? Can he change all that?" he asked.  
  
"Alright. Michael Matthews, you have three days and three days only to go back and protect a life: Marian's. All your memories will be intact and nobody will recognize you. You are a free agent in the universe and with the blessing of God Almighty and His Court!" Othniel told him, picking up the gavel and hitting it against the table.  
  
TBC... 


	3. Being There

The next thing Michael knew, he was sitting in a chair, a young woman standing in front of him.  
  
"Alright, that was wonderful sweetheart. I'll let you know after the auditions are over," he told her.  
  
The blonde giggled, said thank you and left.  
  
"Zachary, that's the last one for today," came a male voice.  
  
"Yeah, I hear you," he sid , turning around.  
  
He looked to see Smith moving lights around. Michael walked over to him.  
  
"Smith, what happened?" he quietly asked.  
  
"Check your name tag," replied Smith.  
  
Michael looked at it.  
  
"'Zachary Wells, Casting Director'. Great. This is just great," Michael said, upset. "Why am I here again?"  
  
Before Smith could answer, the younger Michael and Ben walked by them.  
  
"That's right. Ben, Marian and I were working on the movie here. It was the same movie she auditioned for," Zachary gasped.  
  
The two walked over to Michael and Benjamin.  
  
"Hey Michael, come here," Smith called to him.  
  
Michael and Ben turned and smiled.  
  
"Smith, it's good to see you again. Who's this guy?" Benjamin asked right off the bat.  
  
"A friend of mine. This is Zachary Wells," Smith told them.  
  
They shook hands.  
  
Marian walked past them and Michael hurried up to her.  
  
"Sweetheart, I heard you were auditioning for the lead role in the movie. I'm a more experienced actor, want any pointers?" he told her.  
  
"No thanks Michael but thanks for offering. I've already gotten enough of your pointers," Marian replied before leaving.  
  
Smith was a bit surprised.  
  
"That's Marian? She looks so young. Her hair..." Smith whispered to Zachary.  
  
"She's eighteen. Her hair was brown with red streaks in it. She dyed it black soon after she got shot," Zachary said.  
  
He ran up to his younger self and Ben.  
  
"So what are you guys going to do in the next few days?" asked Zachary.  
  
"Well, in a couple of days, Marian, Ben and myself intend on holding a small concert for the current cast and crew. It's to cheer everybody up," Michael replied.  
  
"Hey Michael, I've got the perfect prank set up. It'll shock everybody," Ben told his friend.  
  
"Ben, don't do it! Whatever it is, don't plan to do it," Zachary warned him.  
  
"What?! Why not?" protested Ben.  
  
"You don't know how far it will go. The effects this prank will cause," Zachary angrily explained.  
  
"Well guess what? You can't tell me what to do! Michael, I'm planning to do it," Ben yelled at Zachary.  
  
He stomped away from the small group.  
  
"That went really well," Smith whispered to Zachary.  
  
"So well," he quietly agreed.  
  
Michael turned to them.  
  
"What's wrong? It's as if you know something's going to go wrong," Michael wondered.  
  
"Maybe later," Zachary replied.  
  
He sighed.  
  
"He didn't tell you what he was doing for it. Be careful not to mistake the real thing for something else," Zachary warned.  
  
"What? You think I'm that stupid?" Michael laughed before leaving.  
  
Zachary and Smith stood there before heading out into the main lobby of the hotel.  
  
"It's useless. They won't listen to me. Heck, myself won't listen to me," Zachary groaned.  
  
"Don't give up yet. You've still got a couple more days," Smith reassured him.  
  
Marian walked past them. She noticed them and walked up to them. She sat down beside Zachary, who had sat down on a bench.  
  
"What's wrong?" Marian asked.  
  
Zachary's eyes found Marian's concerned ones.  
  
"Marian, watch your back at this concert in a couple of days. I fear something is going to happen," Zachary told her, the urgency in his voice painfully obvious.  
  
Also with that, he had a worried look on his face.  
  
"Alright, I'll be careful," she replied, making Zachary smile with relief.  
  
TBC... 


	4. Before the Storm

The next morning, Marian walked into the dining room only to find Ben standing on a chair, setting something up to the ceiling.  
  
"Ben, what are you doing?" she asked, seeming confused.  
  
"Shhh. Why do you always have to be an early bird? You'll ruin the entire thing," he whispered.  
  
"If this is something for Michael, it's stupid..." she sighed, a hand up to her head.  
  
"Nonononono!" he protested as she was speaking. "It's not stupid, even if it is for the king of stupidty. The funny thing with him is that he mixes up stuff all the time."  
  
Smith walked in and saw the scene.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked, arms out.  
  
"Ben's being his usual idiotic self, as usual," replied Marian.  
  
"Marian..." Smith started.  
  
"Call me Annie," she said.  
  
"Annie. What are you doing at the concert?" wondered Smith.  
  
"I know enough piano to play. I'm better with tenor saxophone," replied Marian.  
  
Zachary walked in and looked at Ben on the chair in disbelief.  
  
"Benjamin, what's this?" he demanded, arms out in front of him.  
  
"It's none of your beeswax," answered Ben, continuing to work.  
  
Zachary shook his head.  
  
"You're impossible. You always have been," he whispered, putting a hand over his eyes.  
  
He couldn't stand it any longer and walked out of the room. Smith and Marian watched him leave.  
  
***  
  
The next day, Zachary hurried to catch up with Michael.  
  
"Michael I'm serious. Don't think that every single thing is Benjamin's prank. Please, don't expect anything. If you do, something terrible will happen. If anything should happen tonight, take it seriously Michael," he strongly cautioned him.  
  
"Don't worry Zach, nothing's going to happen tonight," reassured Michael.  
  
"Believe me when I say that if you don't take tonight seriously, somebody's going to get hurt and it won't be pretty," Zachary told him, holding onto Michael's collar.  
  
"Alright, I'll be careful. Yeesh," Michael replied, pushing Zachary's arms away.  
  
He was obviously angry as he walked away, grumbling.  
  
Smith walked up behind Zachary.  
  
"Does this happen a lot?" wondered Zachary, sighing.  
  
"All the time," replied Smith.  
  
***  
  
Later that evening, Zachary and Smith walked into the dining hall.  
  
"It's wonderful! Who did the decorations?" wondered Smith.  
  
"Marian did. She has a great touch with that sort of thing," Zachary told him.  
  
He looked around a bit before noticing where Michael, Ben and Marian were sitting.  
  
"Smith, I'd like you to go over with them. I'd feel better if somebody was keeping an eye on Marian," Zachary told Smith.  
  
"Alright, what're you doing?" replied Smith.  
  
"I'm waiting for the man to come. I know when he's coming. He'll go up on stage right after Marian plays the piano and I just went up to tell some jokes," Zachary explained. "If the younger me doesn't believe the older me, I may have to stop the crook 'myself'."  
  
Smith nodded and walked over to the trio.  
  
"Hey Marian, how're you doing?" asked Smith.  
  
"I'm nervous but fine," she replied.  
  
"Why?" wondered Smith, now curious.  
  
"I'm going to audition for the lead role tomorrow. If I get it, I'll be starring in my major role. It'll be exciting," she replied with a smile.  
  
"What will happen if you don't get the part?" he asked as Michael and Ben walked up onto the stage.  
  
"If I don't get it, my boyfriend and I will struggle even more to find work. We're having enough trouble as it to make ends meet," she explained, looking at him with sorrowful eyes.  
  
Smith looked over at the older Michael before looking back at Marian and smiling.  
  
"I really hope you get the part. I think you'd really portray the part," Smith told her.  
  
TBC... 


	5. During the Storm

Alright people, let's get this thing started here," Michael yelled to an eager crowd.  
  
Benjamin and Michael both cheered. Marian and Smith cheered from the table. Then came everybody else's cheers.  
  
"Now everybody, please welcome Marian Andrews. She's here tonight to play the piano for all you wonderful people," Michael told the crowd, speaking into the microphone.  
  
Smith watched Marian walk up onto the stage and head towards the piano.  
  
She sat down and started to play.  
  
While she was playing the song, a man walked through the doors. He walked up behind Zachary, who subsequently looked around at him with a curious look.  
  
Once Marian was finished the song, she stood up and bowed before the applauding audience.  
  
Wasn't she just great folks?" Michael asked as Marian started off the stage.  
  
The man stormed onto the stage, pointing a gun at Michael. Marian suddenly stopped at the edge of the stage. The crowd gasped and whispered to each other.  
  
Zachary hurried to where Marian was still standing.  
  
"Whatever you do Marian, don't move," he told her.  
  
"Alright, I won't," she quietly replied.  
  
Michael looked at the man.  
  
"Michael, get out of the way," screamed Zachary.  
  
"No wait! It's only...only...the..." Michael started, before stopping and gazing ahead in shock.  
  
Zachary turned to find that Benjamin was standing behind him.  
  
"Well don't just stand there, tell him!" Zachary angrily said.  
  
"Tell him what?" asked Benjamin.  
  
"This is not your prank. He's going to get himself killed! Or somebody else is going to get hurt," protested Zachary.  
  
Benjamin appeared to be confused and for a moment. He snapped out of his trance and looked up at his friend.  
  
"Hey Michael, this isn't my prank! get out of the way!" yelled Benjamin, waving her arms.  
  
Michael glanced over at him. The masked man pulled the triggor and Michael looked back towards the man. Marian managed to pull him out of the way and they ducked.  
  
The bullet shattered the window behind the two. Marian was gasping for air, a hand on her chest.  
  
Zachary smiled and sighed. He was very relieved.  
  
"She's safe," he quietly said to himself, putting a hand on his forehead.  
  
He apprehended the masked man and kept him at bay until the police arrived., when he was arrested and taken to jail.  
  
Zachary stood by Smith as the questioning continued through the crowd.  
  
"Smith, my life has been changed. I'm happy it's all over," he said.  
  
"No, you're not done yet. You've still got one thing left to do," Smith replied.  
  
"What? Alright, what do I have left to finish?" asked Zachary with an exasperated sigh.  
  
Smith looked over at the younger Michael and Marian.  
  
"You stopped the shooting from occuring. She's not injured, therefore neither of your lives are in ruins. She's not handicapped but she needs the msot right now is support," Smith explained.  
  
"Her audition tomorrow. She was a shoo-in for the part but couldn't get it because she was shot," Zachary suddenly realized. "She's the best one for the part."  
  
Zachary walked over to Marian and Michael.  
  
"Are you two alright?" he asked them.  
  
"We'll be fine. We're just a little shook up right now, that's all," replied Michael, gasping.  
  
"Marian, I know you were going to see me tomorrow for the lead role in the movie. Honestly, I have to see everbody for an equla chance for the part. But I think you're going to do well at the audition one way or the other," Zachary explained to her.  
  
"Really? Mister Wells, thank you for your support. It means a lot to me," she replied.  
  
"Live a wonderful life Marian," he whispered, a huge smile on his face as he watched her join the others.  
  
TBC... 


	6. After the StormA Second Chance at Friend...

The next thing Michael knew, he found himself in a strange house, surrounded by strange people. He felt like he had something to say something but nothing came out.  
  
"Cut!!" cried a voice.  
  
The director walked over to him.  
  
"Michael, what's wrong? You did so wonderful in practice," he asked with a bit of impatience in his voice.  
  
The redhead looked around at everything. He saw a young woman across the room. The other way, stood camerasand more people.  
  
"I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me," he lied.  
  
"You people annoy me so much!" the man cried, seeming frustrated as he threw up his arms. "Ten minute break everybody.  
  
The young woman walked up to him. Her hair was brown with the faintest bit of red streaks in it.  
  
"Michael, you usually don't do that. Nothing's wrong, is there?" she asked.  
  
"No, nothing's wrong," he repliued, shaking his head and walking past her.  
  
Smith walked up from behind him.  
  
"What happened?" asked Michael, a confused look on his face. "Where am I?"  
  
"Right now, you're working on another project. As for Marian, she got the lead role in the movie and did a great job of it too. She did so well, she even won a few awards for it. She married her boyfriend two years later and they both became big stars," explained Smith, hands in his pocket.  
  
"Where is she now?" Michael pleaded to know.  
  
"That's her right over there," replied Smith, pointing the way over to the young woman.  
  
Michael's jaw dropped.  
  
"Unbelievable. Smith, I could never forget you," Michael said quietly.  
  
He looked at the man.  
  
"But you will though. You'll also forget these past three days," Smith told him with a small smile.  
  
Michael smiled himself.  
  
"Well, thanks for everything, evem if I won't remember you. For helping me...and her," Michael thanked.  
  
"You should really thank yourself. You are the one who changed your own future," Smith replied.  
  
Michael blinked a few times and shook his head. He turned around and headed for Marian.  
  
"Hey Mariannie, come over here!" he called over to her.  
  
"Yes Michael, what do you want now?" she replied with a smile as she walked over to him.  
  
"How's that husband of yours? I also heard that you're pregnant? Is that true?" asked Michael.  
  
"Joel's great and yes, the rumours are true. I am pregnant," she replied, a sheepish grin on her face.  
  
They walked over to the refreshment stand.  
  
"Michael, what was Benjamin's prank supposed to be all those years ago anyway?" asked a curious Marian. "I never did get to ask you until now."  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine. He never told me," replied Michael, lifting a glass up to his mouth.  
  
He drank it in one gulp and they headed back onto the set.  
  
Smith watched from behind the large crowd.  
  
"She's a wonderful person Michael. Hang onto her friendship forever. She's got a heart of gold," Smith whispered.  
  
He watched as the people went back to work on the scene. He turned around and saw the plans for the movie poster.  
  
Marian and Michael were on it. She wore a white dress and wings. Michael was looking at her, smiling.  
  
He looked at the title of the movie at the bottom.  
  
"The part suits her well," he said as he walked away.  
  
The title was The Fallen Angel.  
  
The End 


End file.
